Women and racial diversity are crucial for the strength of the U.S. armed forces, outgoing Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said.
"I have spent 41 years in uniform, three long tours in Iraq, one in Afghanistan, and everywhere I went on a battlefield, there were women in our formation," Austin, a retired four-star U.S. Army general, told NBC News in an interview as he prepares to wrap up his Cabinet post under President Joe Biden.
"I would tell you that our women are the finest troops in the world," Austin said. "Quite frankly, some of the finest in the world."
Austin's comments come after those made by Pete Hegseth, a former Army National Guard major and Fox News star who President-elect Donald Trump has nominated as Secretary of Defense.
Hegseth said, in a podcast this month, that the military "should not have women in combat roles, and that "men in those positions are more capable."
According to the Pentagon, in a November 2023 report, women comprised 17.5% of the active duty force of the U.S. military and 21.6% of selected reserves in 2022.
Austin told NBC that it is not "hyperbole" to say that women are a valued asset in the military.
"They do impact readiness," he said. "They make us better. They make us stronger. And again, what I've seen from our women is quite incredible ... this is fact."
Hegseth also has criticized the military's "woke" officials who support diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, saying he wants them removed.
Austin, though said diversity in the military is vital, and that the service remains a meritocracy.
"We're a diverse nation, and we're going to remain a diverse nation. Our military is going to remain a diverse military," said Austin, who did not weigh in about what he thinks of Hegseth as his potential replacement.
Trump has also said he could try to use the military with his plans for mass deportations of illegal immigrants, and while Austin wouldn't comment on Trump's specific plans, he said that the law on how the U.S. uses its military is "well defined."
"I have faith and confidence in our senior leaders that they will always make the right decisions and make the right recommendations to their leadership," Austin told NBC News.
Austin also discussed Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to lower the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons as "dangerous behavior."
Austin said the U.S. knew of Russia's plans to revamp its policy for several weeks, but said he has not seen any changes in the country's strategic force posture.
"We'll continue to remain vigilant in this regard," he said. "But at this point, no, I don't see an indication that there's an imminent intent to use nuclear weapons."
Austin said the U.S. believes North Korea has about 10,000 troops in Russia's Kursk area but has not seen them fighting alongside the Russian military.
"We believe that those troops will be embedded in Russian formations, and I have every reason to believe that we will see them in combat in the not too distant future," he said. "I think the intent's there, but we've not seen that yet."